Genesis 43:32

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:32 Quibus appositis, seorsum Ioseph, et seorsum fratribus, Ægyptiis quoque qui vescebantur simul, seorsum (illicitum est enim Ægyptiis comedere cum Hebræis, et profanum putant huiuscemodi convivium)

When these had been set before them, Joseph separately, and his brothers separately, and likewise the Egyptians who were eating with him, separately (for it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they consider a banquet of this kind profane)

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus when these ABL.PL.N.REL
2 appositis having been set ABL.PL.N.PPP
3 seorsum separately ADV
4 Ioseph Joseph NOM.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 seorsum separately ADV
7 fratribus for the brothers DAT.PL.M
8 Ægyptiis for the Egyptians DAT.PL.M
9 quoque also ADV
10 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
11 vescebantur were eating 3PL.IMPFT.DEP.IND
12 simul together ADV
13 seorsum separately ADV
14 illicitum unlawful NOM.SG.N.ADJ
15 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 enim for CONJ
17 Ægyptiis for the Egyptians DAT.PL.M
18 comedere to eat PRES.ACT.INF
19 cum with PREP+ABL
20 Hebræis with the Hebrews ABL.PL.M
21 et and CONJ
22 profanum profane NOM.SG.N.ADJ
23 putant they consider 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
24 huiuscemodi of this kind GEN.SG.N.INDECL
25 convivium banquet ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Ablative absolute: Quibus appositis — temporal ablative absolute, “when these had been set (before them).”
Distribution of places at table: repeated seorsum marks three distinct groups:
• seorsum Ioseph — Joseph at his own table.
• et seorsum fratribus — his brothers at a separate table (dative of reference).
• Ægyptiis quoque … seorsum — the Egyptians who ate with him also seated apart.
Relative clause: qui vescebantur simul — describes the Egyptians as those “who were eating together (with him).”
Parenthetical explanation (two coordinated clauses):
— illicitum est enim Ægyptiis comedere cum Hebræis — impersonal construction with infinitive; “it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews.”
— et profanum putant huiuscemodi convivium — “and they consider a banquet of this kind profane,” with convivium as object of putant and profanum as predicate.

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative absolute with appositis, referring to the dishes/bread set out; Translation: “when these”; Notes: neuter agrees with implied “things (served).”
  2. appositis — Lemma: appono; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate in ablative absolute; Translation: “having been set (before them)”; Notes: describes completed action prior to the seating description.
  3. seorsum — Lemma: seorsum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb modifying implied verb of taking food/seating; Translation: “separately”; Notes: highlights ritual separation.
  4. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: logical subject of the separate place at table; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: indeclinable Hebrew name in Latin.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the first and second “seorsum” phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple additive coordination.
  6. seorsum — Lemma: seorsum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies the implicit verb governing fratribus; Translation: “separately”; Notes: stresses distinct seating.
  7. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: dative of reference (“for the brothers”); Translation: “for the brothers”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s brothers as a group.
  8. Ægyptiis — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun (substantivized adjective); Form: dative plural masculine; Function: dative of reference, indicating a separate arrangement “for the Egyptians”; Translation: “for the Egyptians”; Notes: specifies ethnic group distinct from Hebrews and Joseph’s brothers.
  9. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds Egyptians to previously mentioned groups; Translation: “also”; Notes: placed after the word it emphasizes.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of vescebantur; Translation: “who”; Notes: refers back to Ægyptiis.
  11. vescebantur — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “were eating”; Notes: deponent with active meaning; often takes ablative object, though here focus is on shared eating “together.”
  12. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies vescebantur; Translation: “together”; Notes: indicates they were eating together (with Joseph), though at their own table.
  13. seorsum — Lemma: seorsum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: resumes the adverb of separation; Translation: “separately”; Notes: sums up the threefold separation in the dining arrangement.
  14. illicitum — Lemma: illicitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective with impersonal est; Translation: “unlawful”; Notes: describes the cultural/religious prohibition.
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: copula in impersonal construction; Translation: “is”; Notes: links illicitum to the infinitive phrase.
  16. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: explanatory; Function: introduces reason for the separation; Translation: “for”; Notes: post-positive, normally not first in the clause.
  17. Ægyptiis — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun (substantivized adjective); Form: dative plural masculine; Function: dative of reference with impersonal expression (illicitum est Ægyptiis comedere); Translation: “for the Egyptians”; Notes: marks those for whom the action is forbidden.
  18. comedere — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive complement of illicitum est; Translation: “to eat”; Notes: forms part of the impersonal prohibition.
  19. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses association; Translation: “with”; Notes: introduces the group with whom eating is forbidden.
  20. Hebræis — Lemma: Hebræus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition cum; Translation: “the Hebrews”; Notes: denotes the ethnically distinct group.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the prohibition with the evaluative judgment; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins the two explanatory clauses.
  22. profanum — Lemma: profanus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective with putant and convivium; Translation: “profane”; Notes: carries cultic/ritual overtones of impurity.
  23. putant — Lemma: puto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb of second explanatory clause; Translation: “they consider”; Notes: introduces an accusative + predicate construction.
  24. huiuscemodi — Lemma: huiuscemodi; Part of Speech: indeclinable adjective; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of quality modifying convivium; Translation: “of this kind”; Notes: characterizes the type of banquet.
  25. convivium — Lemma: convivium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of putant; Translation: “banquet”; Notes: the shared meal itself is viewed as ritually defiling.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.